June 3, 2025 • 44 mins
On the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast for Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Jim Eichenhofer and Gus Kattengell begin their series of draft previews ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
They welcome The Athletic's Christian Clark and Pelicans TV Sideline Reporter/Host Andrew Lopez to discuss the Dallas Mavericks' first pick as Lopez breaks down the top two prospects in the draft in Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome in to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, the official
podcast of your New Orleans Pelicans, a podcast dedicated to
everything you need to know about the squad. Here from players, coaches, broadcasters,
and those who cover the NBA on a daily basis.
It's time to flock up. The New Orleans Pelicans podcast
(00:29):
starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hi, welcome to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, official podcast
of your New Orleans Pelicans player profiles in the books.
Mister Jim, I can offer Pelicans dot Com Gus kat
and go with you. Now, it's time to get you
ready for the NBA Draft seventh that is where the
New Orleans Pelicans will pick. We've had the lottery in
the meantime, we're going to go through one through six.
Aren't we to kind of get Pels fans a little
(00:55):
ready as to what maybe could happen around that pick
at seven, but also what the teams in front of
them possibly thinking with people that cover not only the
Pelicans but those teams as well, And in this case,
we're talking to someone who has covered the Pelicans and
the current team that he's reporting on, and that is
Christian Clark, who writes for the Athletic does an outstanding
job covering the Dallas Mavericks. Has had quite an eventful
(01:18):
twenty four and twenty five, you might say, based on
what's happened with these two basketball franchises that he's covered.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
But yeah, we're going to go through the top six teams.
We're going to have someone a media member who covers
each of those teams that are picking before the Pelicans,
so we can kind of get a little bit of
a feel maybe of how things are going to play
out before the Pelicans spot comes up on the draft board.
And we're also going to discuss the top twelve prospects
with two players per episode. We're going to have Andrew
(01:45):
Lopez and various other people break down some of the
top players that may or may not be available when
the Pelicans pick. But we're going to start today with
our good friend Christian Clark talking to us from Dallas.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, it's a good thing, Christian that you haven't been
busy at all, not only covering the team, but also
in your personal life.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
How buddy, how are you doing.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
There's a lot going on at the Clark household right now.
Got a two week old and yeah, I mean, like
the team I cover. Now, it's been a wild couple months,
you know. I started in early December, watch Luca play
I think seven or eight times, and then he gets
hurt on Christmas and then they trade him a couple
of weeks after that, you know, miserable into the season
(02:25):
with injuries, self inflicted wounds, and somehow they look into
Cooper flag one point eight percent chance. I mean, I
just I couldn't believe it when you know, when I
was sitting there, I saw, okay, they've they've gotten in
the top four. They had an eight point five percent chance,
like amazing, but no way, they went all the way
up to number one, right, like thoughts are just two slim.
It's like, oh my god, I can't believe it.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yeah, I mean, that just seemed like it's stunned everyone.
I Mean. One of the things that's interesting about your
role too with covering the Mavericks and writing for the
Athletic to report on them, is also your from the
area as well. So I think we talked to you
during the season, and I like your perspective because obviously
being from that area, you know, the fan base really
well grew up around a lot of Mavericks fans and
(03:10):
that kind of thing. So, I mean, you have really
good insight too beyond you know, just a basketball writer
who's covering the team. What has been the reaction so far?
I mean, I feel like it was very well documented
obviously during the season that it was somewhat slightly negative
towards the trade, the Luca trade. I mean, after this
Cooper flag news or the news that the Mavericks won
(03:32):
the lottery, I mean, what's it been like? Is it
is olive forgiven now? Is everybody ready to kind of
turn the page and say, say, we're good now, we
don't need to protest outside the arena?
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:43):
I mean I think the fan discontentment was probably the
most interesting storyline after the Luca trade. I mean, it
was like a situation where, you know, ownership I think
had to seriously look at do we do we need
to fire somebody just to like improve or like you know,
puts it, I guess, fix this relationship with our fan
(04:03):
base a little bit, and they obviously didn't. And I
think this Cooper flag thing is going to help a lot.
I think the mood is better, you know, I think
it's definitely gonna help from like a season ticket renewal standpoint,
I think just eyeballs on the team, you know, when
you're when you're online, like the you know, that's a
I think an extreme portion of the fan base, you know.
(04:24):
I don't think it's representative of like the Median fan
or whatever. But a lot of those people who are
like the most passionate people still want them to make
a change in the front office. And I don't think
that's going to happen. But it has helped, but there's
still a lot of anger and not a lot of trust.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, the way you described it, it's almost like you
you're you have to have like a sacrificial offering to
people to appease them, to get them to calm down
from where they were. But you know, I understand that
it definitely seems like that's not going to happen at
this point. Obviously, the Mavericks in their public comments so far,
I mean, we experience this, experien It's this in twenty
(05:00):
nineteen with Zion, everyone in the world knew that the
Pelicans were gonna pick Zion, but they weren't. We weren't
able to publicly say that. The franchise wasn't able to
say like Yeah, Zion's definitely gonna be the pick. So
I've noticed, for example, the president of the Mavericks has
has said, you know, we like Cooper Flag. You know,
he can't come out and flat out say that they're
gonna pick him. But I guess from your perspective and
(05:22):
everything that you've heard from talking to different people, I mean,
there's there's obviously no debate. I'm not going to ask
you if they pick first, are they going to take
Cooper Flag, because you'd say that's the dumbest question ever.
But I mean there has been some different discussions about
possible trades and that kind of thing. I mean, is
that possible or is that just that something that people
have talked about just because we need things to discuss
(05:44):
during the off season.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
I mean the night of the draft, you know, one
of those announced that the Mavericks were moving all the
way up to number one. That was that was a
lot of what I was asking. I was sending out,
are you guys definitely gonna make this pick? Text and
things like that, and you know the I was picking
up that night was yeah, we're gonna stay there, We're
gonna make this pick. I mean, I think it I
think it was a legitimate question, you know, right after
(06:07):
it happened, do you like look to move this pick
to try to get it in on like a guy
like Yiannis. I mean, we just know that, you know,
Nico Harrison is very focused on the short term, not
the long term, and Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis are
guys approaching their mid thirties, so I don't think there's
like a long contention window here. But you know, look,
(06:29):
they're they're gonna keep this pick. They're gonna make this pick,
and I don't I don't know like Nico Harrison's thinking
on it, but I think that ownership is looking at
this like, hey, we probably made a mistake with the
Luca thing, and we can't we can't move this one.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
I think I think there's a recognition that, Okay, this
is kind of a second chance and we can't waste this.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
You know, you mentioned some of the other pieces obviously
that are huge in the foundation of the team. Anthony
Davis were extremely familiar with here. Obviously, Kyrie Irving, there's
questions about when he comes back next season with the
injury that he has. I'm sure he's not gonna be
ready at the beginning of the season, especially with the
timing of when he was injured. But here we are
(07:12):
in early June. There's a we have no idea. There's
a bunch of other moves and stuff that the MAVs
could make that will alter the roster. But in terms
of what the Mavericks have right now and the pieces
that I mentioned in some of the other players, how
does Cooper flag fit if he's who they pick in
terms of, you know, what his skill set is, how
you blend him in just as a rookie like immediately
(07:34):
in October.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
Yeah, I think they They love the fact that he
is a two way player and has a chance to be,
you know, just a special defensive player. You know, great
steel rate, great block rate. He's really big like he
to me, I think he's more of a four than
anything else. A power forward, you know. I think the
Mavericks could honestly start him at small forward. I mean,
(07:59):
they've one of the ideas behind the Anthony Davis trade
is we're gonna have him played power forward and we're
gonna put him next to Derek Lively second or Daniel Gafford.
I would imagine they want to continue doing that next year,
which means that hey, Cooper, Flag, like you're in at
the three, not the four, because ads blocking at the four.
So I think you're gonna see the Maps play really big,
Like I think it could be a starting front line
(08:20):
of Flag Ad Derek Lively. So I think that's what
you're gonna see them do. I mean, my big question
with the Mavericks right now is what are they gonna
do at league guard? Because Kyrie Irivering is gonna be
out until twenty twenty six. I mean, they've got one
point guard who's gonna be healthy at the starting next
season under contract right now, and that's Brandon Williams, who
is a two way player for most of the last year.
(08:41):
So it's obvious that the Mavericks need to make a
move at guard or moves plural.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Obviously, from a Pelican's perspective, the most significant part of
whatever the MAVs do is, this is a team that
you're playing four times every year, guaranteed they're in your division.
And so I'm curious about you know, you you reference
us a little bit, but is it the kind of
thing where you look at it like, you know, Nico
Harrison made comments about, for example, our window is the
(09:08):
next two or three years, but now you have a
player that could be your franchise foundation for ten twelve years.
Is it the kind of thing where they can look
at it like, you know, I know that the Golden
State had kind of an infamous two timelines thing that
didn't really work out. But is it is it the
kind of thing right now with the addition that they're
able to make with the number one pick, where you
can look at it like we can we can be
(09:30):
really good, we can compete for a title, maybe put
ourselves in that conversation, but we can also have this
separate track where we start building around a young player
over the next however many years.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I do think the Mavericks look at it like that
right now, the two we can meld these two timelines
together type thing. I think, you know a lot of
that is contingent on Kyrie Irving looking like Kyrie Irving
once he's able to get back from the torn acl
at his left knee, and we'll see, you know, I don't,
I don't know know he's gonna you know, attack his rehab.
But like you can't, you can't, you know, compete for
(10:06):
championships without a really good league guard. And I would say, like,
I would say that the difference between the two timelines
things like here in Dallas and like Golden State is
I mean, look, they tried to do it with like
James Wiseman and Moses Moody and Jonathan Kamingba, Like those
guys have some talent, Like Cooper Flag's just way better,
I think, you know, I mean, I just think he's
way better. And I mean he is super super young.
(10:29):
You know, he reclassified to go to college year early.
Like he turned eighteen years old in December. He's not
gonna be nineteen until this, you know, six months from now,
seven months from now. But I do think he's good
enough to like at least contribute to winning right away.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
You know, I don't.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
I don't think he's a guy where you just give
him the ball and like he dictates the offense. Like,
I don't think he's that kind of guy. But I
do think he's a guy who does a little bit
of everything for you and affects the game in a
lot of different ways.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Christ My last question for you, I think that's interesting
to me is by the time you know these picks
are made with Dallas or New Orleans. Jim and Christian
is We're gonna have our seventh different NBA champion over
seven seasons, which is kind of remarkable you think about
because you're talking about what Dallas may be doing to
build We're kind of looking at what the Pells are
going to do on their new leadership here as well.
(11:17):
What do you take what do you make out of
that that we've had so many different champions. Look, we've
had teams that are in and around the top of
each conference that are good. Right, we kind of know
that Boston's been good for a bit. We see the
rise Okac. When you were talking about your size, I'm
thinking how big and physical Okac is and how they've
built it too. Is there a blueprint on how to
(11:37):
build a champion? And can you say there is one
if there're seven different over seven seasons.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Yeah, I think that's a I think that's a great question.
You know, I think depth has has never been more important.
I Mean, I look at Oklahoma City and Denver, you
know that seven game series, and I'm like, NIKOLEA. Jokic
is the best player in the world, you know, I
think he's better than Chape but it doesn't matter because
the Thunder were the better team clearly, you know. I
mean like the Nuggets were depending on like russ On
(12:06):
Julian Struther, who had you know, one really good game,
but they're just depending on these guys where it's like,
you know, I don't know, and the Thunder are you know,
deepest team in the NBA. A lot of the reason
they had the best point differential ever in the regular season,
but death really matters. And I think just being able
to you know, play play different styles too. Like Oklahoma City,
(12:29):
you know, they had a fantastic season last year, then
this offseason they're like, we're gonna go out and get
Isaiah Hartenstein.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
We're gonna be able to play two bigs.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
But we don't have to do that. I mean, we
can just go chet and play five out if we
want to, but we can also have like this great
two big lineup. So I'd say, like depth and versatility
or are two things that you know, I look at
this and I value.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And it's crazy when you think of the Eastern Conference Finals,
we have two completely different styles of basketball, right, I mean,
Indiana is a team that's fast and physical above the
rim and Jim.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
I think New York plays six players.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Right, I mean, I'm joking butty much.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
They're a team that plays their starters really, so two
contrasting styles, but you know, played for the Eastern Conference championships,
So yeah, I think it's per season. I think injury
is the one common denominated EF factor here.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Could derail your best planned, can't it.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Yeah. I mean what Christian said about depth also plays
into that a lot too. I mean, you can't you
do need to have depth so that you can sustain.
I mean, we talked unfortunately a lot about player availability
this past season, so I mean, yeah, you go through
the season if you only have six or seven guys
and a couple of them go out. I mean people
I know, remember, I know people talked about at the
end of the Denver series that they were almost down
(13:38):
to about three guys if you throw in the guys
that were hurt and the other players that they couldn't
rely on. So yeah, I think that might be the
thing that determines champions over the next few years. And
I think to point part of why there has been
a little bit more fluctuation from year to year because
the injuries have definitely been a factor unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, you never know what happens when you have to player. Christian,
final thoughts from you.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
I don't know what's gonna happen anytime. I mean, this
is all of this has been unpredictable, you know, I did.
I certainly could have predicted they're gonna trade luc and
then they're gonna look into a guy who has a
chance to be a face to the franchise for the
next ten years.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
It's fun, it's fun.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
I hope, uh, I hope Cooper flag hits and I'm
I'm optimistic and he seems like he's about the right things.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, you know, Christian, it's funny. When you left here,
you thought, you know, things will be much more stable
in Dallas. There won't be as many issues, there won't
be as much controversy. Everything will be more set in place,
and then we'll look what you ended up getting. So
what a what a six months for you? You left
in in November. I remember the game you left. It
was the game against Toronto right before Thanksgiving, and we thought,
(14:47):
you know, he's going to comfortable Dallas. Kinna be he relaxed,
He's gonna be able to kick back and just you know,
just calmly monitor the situation. But didn't quite happen that way.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
So and then the fans are about to like storm
the building.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Were you blamed Freddy of this though?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Right?
Speaker 4 (15:05):
So you always blamed for stuff here? So were you
blamed for the Lucat trade up there?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
No, I don't.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
I'm like, I'm pretty uh insignificant here. Yeah, I mean
I'm I'm like the seventh most important reporter. So no,
no one was blaming me. I don't think anybody was
thinking about me here.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Well in our hearts and minds, your number one, sir,
which is why you it could happen to be because
your team's actually leading things off. But we do love
you at C Clark underscore one three, mister Christian Clark.
Try to get some shut eye. You know eventually we'll come,
I promise.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
Man. Congrats to you.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I'm glad everybody's healthy, and we'll see you real soon man,
as the season's right around the corner.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
I'm I'm booking the first road game of New Orleans
for sure, I'll be on that one.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Maybe we'll see in Summer League before then too. You
never know, never know, look out, Jimmy Vegas.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Mister Christian Clark of the Athletic.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Thank you, sir, our thanks to mister Christian Clark of
the Athletic giving us his thoughts as to what took
mister Jimike Andhoffer with the Dallas Mavericks and here to
kind of talk about maybe the potential of all of
those different players that the Dallas Mavericks can take. Is
none other than our signline reporter and you see him
on the Gulf Coast and Sports Entertainment Network as well,
(16:14):
mister Andrew Lopez for us.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
What's up, sir? How are you?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
You know what?
Speaker 7 (16:17):
I'm actually I'm happy that Christian found enough time in
his schedule that, you know, to be awaken off for
the pod. I know it's been a very busy time
over there with the Dallas Mavericks and they're one point
eight percent chance, not that you know, anybody's gonna remember
how much percent chance they had at getting this number
one pick, but we're here, and uh, good to talk
(16:37):
about some good basketball player.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yeah, you know, Andrew, during this series, we're going to
be talking about a handful of prospects with you. Some
of the guys that are kind of right now projected
to go in the top part of the draft or
throughout the lottery. And we're going to start today with
Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. Those are two of the
guys right now that have been pretty much a consensus
at the top of the board. I guess we can
(16:59):
start with Flag. Obviously, this is a player that it
looked appears that the Pelicans and the fan base will
be watching him as an opponent for a long time
based on all likelihood. You know, first of all, too,
I wanted to ask you from some of the new guests.
Every time we have a different guest coming, and I
want to ask you kind of a starting point of
(17:21):
how do you prepare for the draft? Obviously you were
you were an ESPN reporter, you were for NOLA dot
com among other things. What is kind of your process
of of how you start kind of researching these guys
during back.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
When I was with ESPN, it was always kind of
it went with how the team I was covering was going. Sure,
I mean in those years when we were when I
was here with the Pels and it was a playoff year,
I'm not paying as much attention to it. Last season
when I was I guess, I guess it's still technically
(17:54):
last season.
Speaker 6 (17:54):
I guess we are still in this season.
Speaker 7 (17:56):
Since it's the playoffs that twenty three twenty four season,
I'm paying a lot more attention to it because it's
I know, the Spurs. You know, the record was bad.
I was doing that once the injuries kind of happened,
and probably about probably about January or February of this year,
I started, you know, putting on an extra couple of
(18:17):
college games, really starting reading some scouting reports, following the
guys that I follow, So probably February on I remember
sitting on the plane with Ad talking about this guy
and this guy and this guy and this guy and
this guy, and I watched this game the other night.
So it's a slow process. But obviously once once the
season stopped, once things kind of slowed down, then it's
(18:41):
you know, even this was even pre lottery, you know,
you really just kind of start diving into you know,
you're looking at clips at these guys you're watching, You're
reading all, you know, anything you could find, trying to
figure out just who these guys are.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I give you credit because my processes I've joked about
with you before is I'm like the student that doesn't
show up for a class the whole semester, and then
it's a few days before the test. I show up
and I start cramming. Yeah, so I waited. I really
waited till I usually do this when the years of
the Pelicans aren't going to be in the playoffs, I
wait until the lottery results so I know when they're picking,
I know the range of players that I need to
(19:15):
really laser focus more in on. So are you a
big video guy? I actually am always. I've been impressed
the last few years how much is available, even on
YouTube where they have these scouting breakdowns of ten fifteen minutes,
and it's like to me to spend to be able
to learn so much in ten minutes on a guy
that's actually a huge part of what I do to
(19:37):
get ready.
Speaker 7 (19:38):
To It's kind of funny because I think it started
like back in the day, like watching the draft Express
videos with Cavoni and the stuff that they would put out,
and now there's just there's so many people who do
so many things. If you know, if you want an
analytical breakdown of these guys, there's a you know, a
guy or twenty for that right, If you want a
video breakdown, there's this. If you want pros, there's cons,
(19:59):
there's there's this video, there's that video. I just think
there's so much information to have that it kind of
it's kind of funny because I think it makes for
a smarter draft community. But also, I mean for the
guys who have to actually make these decisions, there's just
so much more information out there right now that it
(20:21):
just makes their job.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
Even more difficult.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Just something real quick, because I always find it interesting too.
It's a little different NFL draft and NBA draft is
this and NFL. I've seen a player three years in college, right,
even if he's transferred, like Jaydon Daniels here at LSU.
We saw him at Arizona State. He played two years
at LSU with the NBA man, like he said the
word cram, I'm trying to find out about a lot
(20:44):
of these guys. Let's be honest, right until you start
getting to conference play conference tournament, if they go into
the NCAA, that's the closest high level competition states type basketball.
I mean, it's I'm not ripping them, but let's be honest.
The games in early November December in college prey conference.
They're they're directional schools, right that some of the big
(21:05):
school names are playing, so they're not really playing some
of the top teams. How hard is that to scout
and make decisions on these guys that might have faced
one or two possible future NBA players.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
You're looking at some of these guys who in the
in the past. I mean, obviously the guys who are
in higher conferences, you're you know, you can judge a
little bit better. But for some of these guys who
are eighteen years old, nineteen years old, part of your
scouting process in the NBA is.
Speaker 6 (21:35):
You got to go back and watch a little high
school film. You gotta go back and watch what they
did on the AAU circuit. There's Peach Jam is important.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
What they did on the ebybl circuit or whatever circuit
they're on, Adida circuit, nations, if they played any level
of USA Basketball or whatever World Basketball, whatever they're at.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
So like vin competition, right, So it's it's difficult.
Speaker 7 (21:56):
There's not you know, thirty six games that you can
go through, and you know, I know twenty four of
these are SEC games, you know, and I know what
I'm gonna get from a football player or anything like that,
or for Jaydon get the Jeels. Jane Daniels has five
years of film. I mean, these guys have one year
of college film. And as we'll get to in the
(22:19):
case with Harper Is, particularly him and Ace Bailey, the
talent level around them wasn't that high and they're doing
a lot of things. I think a number of the
guys that we're going to talk about in this series,
just to kind of set this up, is guys making
plays without NBA level guys around them. And that's another
(22:39):
part of this process for decision makers is all right, well,
how does this guy fit because that guy that he's.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Passing to.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
May not play another minute of the basketball when his
college career is done, or that guy may go play
overseas maybe, and now I'm putting him in a around
NBA level guys. How does that change what he does?
Or did he do too much? Again, a guy like
Jeremiah Fears who's shown twenty eight percent from three but
was taking a lot of difficult threes because of the
(23:12):
attention to the defense as well. So there's just so
many small things that evaluators have to try to figure
out and frankly, I'm glad I'm not being paid to
have to do that.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Yeah, I mean a lot of I think a lot
of what you're talking about his context, as far as
you know, how do you translate the role that this
guy in college had and what he's going to be
in the NBA, Because almost there's almost no cases where
it's the same thing that you can just say like, Okay,
this is what this guy did in college and he's
going to just be able to transfer that right over
to the NBA. In the case of Cooper Flag, I mean,
(23:44):
this is a guy who's played with multiple players as
duke teammates who were projected to who are projected to
be in the NBA. A couple other players are going
to be lottery picks based on what we're seeing at
this stage as well. So I mean, from what you
saw of him in his one season, not a huge sample,
but there's also other things that people look at from
(24:05):
his career, including the participation he had with the USA
camp in Vegas that people are still talking about how
well he performed there. What do you think are some
of the things that he does does well? And I
mean it feels like to just his versatility. The fact
that there's a bunch of different boxes that he checks
is why people are so excited about his potential in
the NBA.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
I think the big thing about him first, let's let's
talk about him like this. He's supposed to be a
high school.
Speaker 6 (24:31):
Senior right now.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
He reclassified.
Speaker 7 (24:33):
Yet he reclassified up and has and still got all
the accolades of Duke and is the consensus number one pick.
His twin brother is just finished winning, is like headed
to Maine next year. He's gonna go play his college
ball at Maine, but like obviously did not reclassify. I
played with him a year at Montverd and the you know,
(24:55):
went back home I think to play, so that that's
one thing that stands out automatically. He's on a younger
year if you look at some of those advanced numbers
from what he had this year, just in what he
was able to do on the court all around. It
compares to guys like Ad and Zion and what they
were able to do in terms of these are high
level first guys, and he is still a year younger,
(25:17):
done a lot of him. I think the biggest thing
for him though, is he projects as a true to
a guy which I don't know if you've heard, but
according to GMS, in Dallas defense wins championships. So many
times we've heard that, Yes, it fits with what they
want to do. It fits I think what a lot
(25:38):
of teams want to do. And I think there's a
reason why he was coveted by so many teams is
he's not just going to be a guy who you
know he he doesn't. He's not an offensive savon. He's
not this guy who's going to come in and average
you know, twenty eight right away in a league or
anything like that.
Speaker 6 (25:55):
But he can get to that level.
Speaker 7 (25:58):
But I think it's his true kind of two way
potential in what he can able to do on both
sides of the floor that kind of make him so
so valuable.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
One of the things that we talked about with Christian
Clark was just, you know, the fact that he can
do so many different things. I mean, how curious are
you interested to see just what his fit is going
to be with Dallas and just the way that they're
gonna be able to use him.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:19):
One of my things is he almost kind of better projects.
I think as a four, he could probably play the three,
probably the two if you wanted to. How does that
deal with you know, when they're going to have a
D and Lively on the floor or GAFFERD or PJ
and it kind of jumbles up their front court. But again,
I guess that's a good problem to have, is four
or five guys who you absolutely trust who could play
(26:41):
the four and five position. Him sliding to the three,
I think won't be that much of a big deal,
but you know, we're in such position as basketball anyway.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
Now.
Speaker 7 (26:50):
I think it where he fits, he'll He's a smart
enough player that he's going to be able to fit in.
I think he was adaptable at Duke, and you know
he'll probably to be adapt pull in Dallas as well.
And I trust Jason Kidd to kind of figure that out.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah, I mean, it seems like they're gonna be able
to put some big lineups on the court, too, So
how that affects, you know, teams like the Pelicans will
be interesting to see as well in some of those
head to head competitions. I wanted to set this up
as the first episode we're doing in the series of
six different episodes where we're talking about specific teams as
well as prospects. What we're gonna do with all the
(27:25):
guests is we're going to talk about some of the
pro comparisons that each player coming into the draft has,
And I wanted to kind of read off some of
the more common ones that I've seen for Cooper flag
on various websites, and you know, you can kind of
go talk about which ones you like the best. We're
seeing Jason Tatum, We're seeing Scottie Pippen, the guy who
(27:45):
played for the Bulls, not the one who plays for
the Grizzlies right now. We're seeing Franz Wagner, Kawhi Leonard,
Jalen Johnson, Scottie Barnes. And part of why I like
the pro comparisons is, I mean, I'll speak for myself here.
I watch Cooper Flagg play once or twice, maybe at
the most this season. Some of the guys we're talking about,
I did not watch it all. So I need a
(28:06):
picture in my mind of what kind of what type
of player we're talking about. And that helps me when
I start watching the video to say, Okay, maybe I
like this competent comparison. I don't like this one, But
what do you think when you hear some of those comparisons.
Speaker 7 (28:20):
Yeah, I think the one that I've liked the most
has probably been the Kawhi one. And I'm a getting
I think, and we we've talked about this. This is
not saying that this guy is going to come into
the NBA and be Kawhi Leondards right way, but that
that's probably his His absolute ceiling is probably I won't
say it's absolute ceiling when any of these guys coming in,
they could make their own new ceiling, sure, but you know,
(28:43):
you can see him being potentially a guy like uh,
like Kawhi where he's he's you know, your number one
option on both offense and defense.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (28:52):
The Tatum one, I think you look at kind of
about Tatum's game and how he's able to get to
the rim almost he's kind of Tatum without a shot
right now for our our older listeners, the Scottie Pippen
one and what he was able to do, you shoulsally
go back and look at Scotty the two years without Michael.
I think I think all of those are good, and
I think it kind of shows you how all over
(29:16):
the place he is.
Speaker 6 (29:19):
With some of these comps, and you're like.
Speaker 7 (29:21):
Man, how does Scotty Borrens and Jaillen like how there's
all these different things of his game that you see.
And I think Scotty is is probably one of the
other ones, but I think the Kawhi is probably.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
The top one.
Speaker 7 (29:35):
I think that is like, Oh, if he can get
to be that guy, then yeah, you're you're in a
pretty good spot.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Yeah. And again, when we're talking about comparisons to or not,
we're talking more about traits in terms of one of
the players tendencies, what's his style of play. I remember
back in the day when we had across the NBA,
there was a lot more access to the draft workouts,
and back in even the Hornets days, we would have
second round picks here and every player, regardless of where
(30:01):
they were projected for the draft, we'd asked them to
make a pro comparison or name a couple guys that
they play like. And I always remember people's fan reactions, readers'
reactions to a guy who's going to go in the
second round who said, you know, mentioned like an All Star.
They would be like, how arrogant is this guy that
he It's like, no, let's calm down, We're not talking
We're not saying that the guy is going to be
(30:22):
that good. It's just to give you a picture of
an idea what the player is going to be like.
And and and you put yourself in their shoes too.
They're they're gonna sit They're trying to sell themselves a
little bit too. They're not going to say, you know,
a thirteenth man, I'm like that. They're going to say
somebody who's playing a lot.
Speaker 7 (30:38):
Which, which I think is just going back to the
last year's draft process, is when Brownie James was asked
about guys he looked like or he thought his game.
One of the guys he missed was Davion Mitchell, who
at that point was.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
Not thought like.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
You.
Speaker 7 (30:52):
There's probably a lot of casual NBA fans at that
point they I know who Davian Mitchell?
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Well, right, he's a rotation guy in rotation and so
the fact that that.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
Was kind of one of the things he answered was
kind of I like that about him. But yeah, for
these comps, it's it's more of traits. I don't think
anybody is like, hey, it's always the who do you
model your game after? And some of these guys are
just sometimes a little bit more realistic than others in
what they watch.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Last part on Cooper Flag is there again? We're gonna
be asking pretty much everyone this question. Is there anyone
in that you can compare from the Pelican's history, and
we're going all the way back to two thousand and
two when the franchise came here? Is there anybody that
is reminiscent of Cooper Flag?
Speaker 7 (31:32):
This one's probably all. We'll get into the other guys
that I have been assigned in this little series a
little later.
Speaker 6 (31:40):
I don't. I really don't know.
Speaker 7 (31:42):
It's almost like you're taking at peak. If you're gonna
if we're using Kawhi as a comp at peak, you're
looking at like Herb Jones defense and brandon Ingram offense.
I mean, I don't. I don't think he's he's gonna
be that. I don't think he's gonna be a guy
whose first team All defense next year. But I think
but he can't, and I think that's one of the
things that he can do.
Speaker 6 (32:02):
He's not.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
He's not a liability. You know, you can you can
name any other wing you know, bigger wing defenders in it.
But like, if that's his ceiling that's that's what he
would be. And so to me, it's just it would
it would take a lot and this is probably you know, three, four,
five years down the road if he's meeting all of
his potential. But that's that that could be what it is.
(32:27):
But this this one of the series.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (32:31):
In fact, the two you gave me today are probably
the two toughest to answer. I got the other ones. Yeah,
I'm good with my other ones. Uh, but these two
guys very very difficult.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
So for Dylan Harper, I guess we'll talk about him
starting with I mean, what what you saw from him
this season? I know people talked a lot about rutgers
lack of success. They didn't make the tournament, which was disappointing.
But I mean, again, as a draft novice, I will say,
I mean, watching the video of him, I'm really impressed
with just his shiftiness off the off the dribble, just
(33:04):
the way that he can get into the paint. I mean,
what are some of the things that you saw from
him that stand out the most from his one season
in college?
Speaker 7 (33:12):
His ability to to to score the basketball for one,
we could talk a little bit about. Now they didn't
exactly have all the players. You look at a team
like Rutgers and you're thinking Rutgers is, Rutgers could have
two of the top three picks in the NBA draft
and did not make the NCAA tournament. How is that possible?
And I think that's more of a product of what
(33:32):
what was around them rather than their skill themselves. But
one thing that he does I think he is he
just he gets to the rim. You'd probably like to
see himdraw a little bit more free throws, but like
you know, I know drawing free throws as a big,
big topic in the NBA right now because of how
(33:52):
what we've seen in these in these merchant if you
can get there, he is a he is a scorer.
I think the playmaking is there.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
He's a bigger guard.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
You know.
Speaker 7 (34:11):
We'll get into the comps in a second, but I
just think he is an all around player.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
He's got the NBA pedigree.
Speaker 7 (34:17):
Uh In fact that when you know, one of the
comps that I've seen for him is is is his
dad is Ron Harper?
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Second nineties Bulls reference of them?
Speaker 6 (34:26):
Yeah, yeah, I didn't think we get that many is
is Ron Harper?
Speaker 7 (34:32):
So to me, I just think he's an all around
good player, would have you know, I think I think
he fits again with a lot of different teams and
you know, kind of projected over at number two right
now with the Spurs. But how does he he fit
with that guard heavy lineup? But again, uh, a good
(34:54):
problem to have.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Sure, we talked about Cooper Flag's comparisons. The comparisons that
I've seen the most prominently about Dylan Harper and man,
this is a pretty impressive list. Is Kate Cunningham, Jalen Williams,
Jalen Brunson, Kobe White, James Harden, and Darren Fox. So
what do you think when you hear those that list
of players that are compared to him?
Speaker 7 (35:16):
I think the other one that I've heard is almost
and this was this was a jumbo Jahn Morant. Okay,
I don't think, you know, that's a lot to put
on a guy, especially with the explosiveness. I don't like,
he's he's there yet, but just in terms of the
way he's cutting, he's getting to the room. The Jaylen
Williams ones is kind of is kind of there with
(35:38):
a little bit more ball handling, a little bit more playmaking.
But look, he is he is a very good basketball player.
And I think this is one of those years where
we've seen it before where you know, you've got number one,
and man, it really kind of you know, it sucked
(35:58):
to get number two. You didn't want to at number
two or whatever it was going to be. This is
not one of those years. Yes, obviously, I think anybody
would have taken Cooper flag. And you give thirty teams
the decision, they're probably going to take Cooper flag over
Dylan Harber.
Speaker 6 (36:10):
But I think there's.
Speaker 7 (36:12):
Probably thirty out of thirty, a twenty nine out of thirty,
let's say, it's probably maybe one that's probably taking Dylan.
Speaker 6 (36:18):
Harper number two.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Sure. Lastly, and this is the we referenced this earlier.
This will be the difficult one. Any Pelicans comparisons from
the history of this franchise.
Speaker 6 (36:27):
Come up, probably like.
Speaker 7 (36:30):
Again just as a six to six kind of like
maybe it's like the what Dejonte is supposed to be
except a little you know what I mean? Like and
I say Desant is supposed to be like not hurt Dejonte, right,
like what we saw from Dejonte uh this season.
Speaker 6 (36:46):
That one's just a difficult one.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
There's there's some other again some other ones that I know,
you know, it's like a slightly bigger Drew, but not
I not that on defense, size and toughness, like offensive
Drew wasn't an offensive yeah, not like not like.
Speaker 6 (37:01):
Size wise, but no like that. That one's again, it's
a difficult one.
Speaker 7 (37:05):
But when you're throwing out you know, the caides and
the you know, guys like that, you know, it's it's
it's kind of hard.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I just keep looking at the thing that stands out
to me with him, and look, he's a guy that
I've watched a lot during just in Cogs because he's
just he looks like.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
A football player out there, man.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
I mean, he just looks thick.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
And when we're watching the playoffs and you're seeing what's
happening in the West overall, there's a lot of contact
and you know, just again in the history of the
Pelicans and the thunder and the history of the Pelicans
with some of these teams are going to face. Look
at the way the Knicks play defense, Caruso, what he
was doing earlier to start that series against Minnesota, Andrew
(37:45):
to have a guard that can absorb that contact and
it's not throwing him off for rhythm off of balance
or maybe once that contact. I think that's the thing
that's going to scare me if he does wind up
being in the Western Conference.
Speaker 7 (37:57):
And I think the other thing about Harper is when
he when he he measured at the Combine, I think
it was the everything kind of stood out. Everything was
kind of where he was supposed to be. Like we've
seen a couple of guys lose, you know, they were
listed at you know, ast Bailey was listed at six ten,
came in about six and seven and a half in shoes,
I mean in six ten and sixty seven ten to
(38:20):
six and six ten, listed six seven and a half
in at barefoot, which is how they list you at
the Combine, which I.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Don't know why.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
It's a pretty big different.
Speaker 7 (38:27):
I don't know why, because you don't play basketball barefoot.
Speaker 6 (38:30):
Yeah, so but he's going to be a guy who's
a shade under six.
Speaker 7 (38:34):
Nine on the basketball for Yeah, you saw some of
his measurements and you're like, oh, he's six four and
a half barefoot, So that's about online with his six
sixth that he's listed at, he was two hundred and
thirteen pounds. I mentioned the basketball Pedaliy from his dad,
Ron Harper. His mom also a collegiate basketball player at
U and O. So the local tie there for the kid,
but he is he's got, like you said, the size
(38:58):
to get to the rim, which is you know, as
teams are playing bigger. We've talked about the lineup that
the Dallas Mavericks can kind of put out there right now,
we've seen the lineups that the Oklahoma City Thunder can
put out there. You know, having a big six six
two fifteen lead guard is uh, you know pretty good.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
We'll see what takes place with those top two players
going where they're gonna go. We've seen the think down
and I know Jim has been doing a lot of
research looking at a bunch of mock drafts.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
Would you be surprised if it doesn't go like that
one and two?
Speaker 3 (39:30):
I think at this stage, yeah, I think I would
be surprised if those guys aren't the top two. I
mean mostly because I don't know if I can find
one at this stage where they're not listed as the
top two. So unless everyone's wrong, if you if.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
You find I don't know whether they're not one two,
it's somebody just trying to.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Get some attention.
Speaker 6 (39:46):
Yeah, I told you so. Yeah, you man, it's one two.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
And obviously, going back to your days with ESPN, I'm
sure you guys had probably discussions going into draft night. Hey,
could they be plays for teams trying to move up
and trade it? These are two players that you want
to draft, you want to keep or or they cover it.
I mean, like, I do you envision a single scenario
where Cooper Flag doesn't go to Dallas?
Speaker 6 (40:09):
Like, what would be the package?
Speaker 4 (40:10):
What do you say?
Speaker 7 (40:11):
No, I say, but there was never a scenario where
get traded, So.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I won't say there's no scenario.
Speaker 7 (40:22):
However, even if you know a certain superstar who you
know is from the Eastern Conference decides that he does
want to ask for a trade, that would be the
only person I think that could move the needle enough
to where Dallas doesn't pick Cooper san Antonio doesn't pick
(40:44):
Killing Harper.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
I would say this. I think as you see as
a wrap up this episode with.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
The teams there that made it to the Eastern and
Western Conference finals and the fact that so much talk
has been made. I think I even saw Mike Greenberg
making his and Terry on get up a little bit
ago as the conference finals were starting, he said, the
era of the super teams are over, and he was
glad for and he brought up the second apron. He
(41:09):
brought up some of the things that the NBA has
done to do that. The fact andrew that at the
end of the season, when it does conclude, we're gonna
have a seventh different champion in seven straight years. So
when you look at that, yeah, I mean whether you're
mentioning certain players and certain conferences or certain teams.
Speaker 6 (41:26):
That could be going.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
I don't know if you pulled the trigger anymore.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Maybe you do go with your young players.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
I mean money is money, age is age.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
You look at injuries.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
That's something I talked to the Jim about, you know,
off just at lunch, I'm like, man, what's the common
denominatedor factor that.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Blows up plans?
Speaker 2 (41:43):
I mean, here in New Orleans we were ready to
see the CJ. McCollum, brianon Ingram, Zion Williamson era. How
many games did they play together? Well, I'm sorry that
was the dejective, like thirty or not like that total? Right, right,
that's the points Like, so you could plan these super teams,
you can move big name guys put them together, but
(42:05):
look at look at the Suns, look at some of
these other teams. It just didn't work. So I'd be shocked.
I think if if you see those big, big, big, big,
big moves like that.
Speaker 7 (42:15):
It's it's you'd think. And then there's always there's a
Rudy Gobert trade, and then there's mckail bridges trade, and
then you look at how the Knicks have built their
roster and it's you know, they brought in Jailer, but
you know, the Jayler Burnton wasn't homegrown. Josh Hart wasn't homegrown,
mackail Bridges wasn't homegrown. O g wasn't homegrown. Colle Anthony
Towns wasn't homegrown. They went and made moves for those guys,
(42:38):
or made space or did something. So you know, maybe
it's not the swings for the biggest names anymore, which
I still think we're going to see biger names obviously.
I mean we saw a trade with Luka Danca this year.
Teams are still going to make swings, but I think
teams are going to be smarter with how they move
assets around those big guys anymore.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Still, I still look back at that day and go,
it's got to be it's fake.
Speaker 6 (43:05):
Couch. I was like, no, it's fake.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
That's the new term, right, Like will they be a
that's gotta be a.
Speaker 7 (43:10):
My favorite, my favorite part of that whole night was
the second tweet from Shams Yeah, which said no, this
is real and then listen to details, which only made
me think, oh.
Speaker 6 (43:22):
This is even that. This is definitely because he would
never have to say that this is real.
Speaker 4 (43:27):
That's something else.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Andrew Lopez as always, Uh, we can't wait to see
what goes on here when we get closer to the
draft at the end of June. All right, thanks for
y'all for listening on a special edition as we get
ready for the NBA Draft coming up towards the end
of June.
Speaker 4 (43:42):
Here the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast. Join
us three times per week on Pelicans dot com, the
Pelicans mobile app, the iHeartRadio app, or where you get
your podcast, and be sure to give Jim and Guss
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(44:06):
and Gcat Underscore seventeen. We'll see you next time right
here on the New Orleans Pelicans podcast
Welcome in to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, the official
podcast of your New Orleans Pelicans, a podcast dedicated to
everything you need to know about the squad. Here from players, coaches, broadcasters,
and those who cover the NBA on a daily basis.
It's time to flock up. The New Orleans Pelicans podcast
(00:29):
starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hi, welcome to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, official podcast
of your New Orleans Pelicans player profiles in the books.
Mister Jim, I can offer Pelicans dot Com Gus kat
and go with you. Now, it's time to get you
ready for the NBA Draft seventh that is where the
New Orleans Pelicans will pick. We've had the lottery in
the meantime, we're going to go through one through six.
Aren't we to kind of get Pels fans a little
(00:55):
ready as to what maybe could happen around that pick
at seven, but also what the teams in front of
them possibly thinking with people that cover not only the
Pelicans but those teams as well, And in this case,
we're talking to someone who has covered the Pelicans and
the current team that he's reporting on, and that is
Christian Clark, who writes for the Athletic does an outstanding
job covering the Dallas Mavericks. Has had quite an eventful
(01:18):
twenty four and twenty five, you might say, based on
what's happened with these two basketball franchises that he's covered.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
But yeah, we're going to go through the top six teams.
We're going to have someone a media member who covers
each of those teams that are picking before the Pelicans,
so we can kind of get a little bit of
a feel maybe of how things are going to play
out before the Pelicans spot comes up on the draft board.
And we're also going to discuss the top twelve prospects
with two players per episode. We're going to have Andrew
(01:45):
Lopez and various other people break down some of the
top players that may or may not be available when
the Pelicans pick. But we're going to start today with
our good friend Christian Clark talking to us from Dallas.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, it's a good thing, Christian that you haven't been
busy at all, not only covering the team, but also
in your personal life.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
How buddy, how are you doing.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
There's a lot going on at the Clark household right now.
Got a two week old and yeah, I mean, like
the team I cover. Now, it's been a wild couple months,
you know. I started in early December, watch Luca play
I think seven or eight times, and then he gets
hurt on Christmas and then they trade him a couple
of weeks after that, you know, miserable into the season
(02:25):
with injuries, self inflicted wounds, and somehow they look into
Cooper flag one point eight percent chance. I mean, I
just I couldn't believe it when you know, when I
was sitting there, I saw, okay, they've they've gotten in
the top four. They had an eight point five percent chance,
like amazing, but no way, they went all the way
up to number one, right, like thoughts are just two slim.
It's like, oh my god, I can't believe it.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yeah, I mean, that just seemed like it's stunned everyone.
I Mean. One of the things that's interesting about your
role too with covering the Mavericks and writing for the
Athletic to report on them, is also your from the
area as well. So I think we talked to you
during the season, and I like your perspective because obviously
being from that area, you know, the fan base really
well grew up around a lot of Mavericks fans and
(03:10):
that kind of thing. So, I mean, you have really
good insight too beyond you know, just a basketball writer
who's covering the team. What has been the reaction so far?
I mean, I feel like it was very well documented
obviously during the season that it was somewhat slightly negative
towards the trade, the Luca trade. I mean, after this
Cooper flag news or the news that the Mavericks won
(03:32):
the lottery, I mean, what's it been like? Is it
is olive forgiven now? Is everybody ready to kind of
turn the page and say, say, we're good now, we
don't need to protest outside the arena?
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:43):
I mean I think the fan discontentment was probably the
most interesting storyline after the Luca trade. I mean, it
was like a situation where, you know, ownership I think
had to seriously look at do we do we need
to fire somebody just to like improve or like you know,
puts it, I guess, fix this relationship with our fan
(04:03):
base a little bit, and they obviously didn't. And I
think this Cooper flag thing is going to help a lot.
I think the mood is better, you know, I think
it's definitely gonna help from like a season ticket renewal standpoint,
I think just eyeballs on the team, you know, when
you're when you're online, like the you know, that's a
I think an extreme portion of the fan base, you know.
(04:24):
I don't think it's representative of like the Median fan
or whatever. But a lot of those people who are
like the most passionate people still want them to make
a change in the front office. And I don't think
that's going to happen. But it has helped, but there's
still a lot of anger and not a lot of trust.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah, the way you described it, it's almost like you
you're you have to have like a sacrificial offering to
people to appease them, to get them to calm down
from where they were. But you know, I understand that
it definitely seems like that's not going to happen at
this point. Obviously, the Mavericks in their public comments so far,
I mean, we experience this, experien It's this in twenty
(05:00):
nineteen with Zion, everyone in the world knew that the
Pelicans were gonna pick Zion, but they weren't. We weren't
able to publicly say that. The franchise wasn't able to
say like Yeah, Zion's definitely gonna be the pick. So
I've noticed, for example, the president of the Mavericks has
has said, you know, we like Cooper Flag. You know,
he can't come out and flat out say that they're
gonna pick him. But I guess from your perspective and
(05:22):
everything that you've heard from talking to different people, I mean,
there's there's obviously no debate. I'm not going to ask
you if they pick first, are they going to take
Cooper Flag, because you'd say that's the dumbest question ever.
But I mean there has been some different discussions about
possible trades and that kind of thing. I mean, is
that possible or is that just that something that people
have talked about just because we need things to discuss
(05:44):
during the off season.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
I mean the night of the draft, you know, one
of those announced that the Mavericks were moving all the
way up to number one. That was that was a
lot of what I was asking. I was sending out,
are you guys definitely gonna make this pick? Text and
things like that, and you know the I was picking
up that night was yeah, we're gonna stay there, We're
gonna make this pick. I mean, I think it I
think it was a legitimate question, you know, right after
(06:07):
it happened, do you like look to move this pick
to try to get it in on like a guy
like Yiannis. I mean, we just know that, you know,
Nico Harrison is very focused on the short term, not
the long term, and Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis are
guys approaching their mid thirties, so I don't think there's
like a long contention window here. But you know, look,
(06:29):
they're they're gonna keep this pick. They're gonna make this pick,
and I don't I don't know like Nico Harrison's thinking
on it, but I think that ownership is looking at
this like, hey, we probably made a mistake with the
Luca thing, and we can't we can't move this one.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
I think I think there's a recognition that, Okay, this
is kind of a second chance and we can't waste this.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
You know, you mentioned some of the other pieces obviously
that are huge in the foundation of the team. Anthony
Davis were extremely familiar with here. Obviously, Kyrie Irving, there's
questions about when he comes back next season with the
injury that he has. I'm sure he's not gonna be
ready at the beginning of the season, especially with the
timing of when he was injured. But here we are
(07:12):
in early June. There's a we have no idea. There's
a bunch of other moves and stuff that the MAVs
could make that will alter the roster. But in terms
of what the Mavericks have right now and the pieces
that I mentioned in some of the other players, how
does Cooper flag fit if he's who they pick in
terms of, you know, what his skill set is, how
you blend him in just as a rookie like immediately
(07:34):
in October.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
Yeah, I think they They love the fact that he
is a two way player and has a chance to be,
you know, just a special defensive player. You know, great
steel rate, great block rate. He's really big like he
to me, I think he's more of a four than
anything else. A power forward, you know. I think the
Mavericks could honestly start him at small forward. I mean,
(07:59):
they've one of the ideas behind the Anthony Davis trade
is we're gonna have him played power forward and we're
gonna put him next to Derek Lively second or Daniel Gafford.
I would imagine they want to continue doing that next year,
which means that hey, Cooper, Flag, like you're in at
the three, not the four, because ads blocking at the four.
So I think you're gonna see the Maps play really big,
Like I think it could be a starting front line
(08:20):
of Flag Ad Derek Lively. So I think that's what
you're gonna see them do. I mean, my big question
with the Mavericks right now is what are they gonna
do at league guard? Because Kyrie Irivering is gonna be
out until twenty twenty six. I mean, they've got one
point guard who's gonna be healthy at the starting next
season under contract right now, and that's Brandon Williams, who
is a two way player for most of the last year.
(08:41):
So it's obvious that the Mavericks need to make a
move at guard or moves plural.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Obviously, from a Pelican's perspective, the most significant part of
whatever the MAVs do is, this is a team that
you're playing four times every year, guaranteed they're in your division.
And so I'm curious about you know, you you reference
us a little bit, but is it the kind of
thing where you look at it like, you know, Nico
Harrison made comments about, for example, our window is the
(09:08):
next two or three years, but now you have a
player that could be your franchise foundation for ten twelve years.
Is it the kind of thing where they can look
at it like, you know, I know that the Golden
State had kind of an infamous two timelines thing that
didn't really work out. But is it is it the
kind of thing right now with the addition that they're
able to make with the number one pick, where you
can look at it like we can we can be
(09:30):
really good, we can compete for a title, maybe put
ourselves in that conversation, but we can also have this
separate track where we start building around a young player
over the next however many years.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I do think the Mavericks look at it like that
right now, the two we can meld these two timelines
together type thing. I think, you know a lot of
that is contingent on Kyrie Irving looking like Kyrie Irving
once he's able to get back from the torn acl
at his left knee, and we'll see, you know, I don't,
I don't know know he's gonna you know, attack his rehab.
But like you can't, you can't, you know, compete for
(10:06):
championships without a really good league guard. And I would say, like,
I would say that the difference between the two timelines
things like here in Dallas and like Golden State is
I mean, look, they tried to do it with like
James Wiseman and Moses Moody and Jonathan Kamingba, Like those
guys have some talent, Like Cooper Flag's just way better,
I think, you know, I mean, I just think he's
way better. And I mean he is super super young.
(10:29):
You know, he reclassified to go to college year early.
Like he turned eighteen years old in December. He's not
gonna be nineteen until this, you know, six months from now,
seven months from now. But I do think he's good
enough to like at least contribute to winning right away.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
You know, I don't.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
I don't think he's a guy where you just give
him the ball and like he dictates the offense. Like,
I don't think he's that kind of guy. But I
do think he's a guy who does a little bit
of everything for you and affects the game in a
lot of different ways.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Christ My last question for you, I think that's interesting
to me is by the time you know these picks
are made with Dallas or New Orleans. Jim and Christian
is We're gonna have our seventh different NBA champion over
seven seasons, which is kind of remarkable you think about
because you're talking about what Dallas may be doing to
build We're kind of looking at what the Pells are
going to do on their new leadership here as well.
(11:17):
What do you take what do you make out of
that that we've had so many different champions. Look, we've
had teams that are in and around the top of
each conference that are good. Right, we kind of know
that Boston's been good for a bit. We see the
rise Okac. When you were talking about your size, I'm
thinking how big and physical Okac is and how they've
built it too. Is there a blueprint on how to
(11:37):
build a champion? And can you say there is one
if there're seven different over seven seasons.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Yeah, I think that's a I think that's a great question.
You know, I think depth has has never been more important.
I Mean, I look at Oklahoma City and Denver, you
know that seven game series, and I'm like, NIKOLEA. Jokic
is the best player in the world, you know, I
think he's better than Chape but it doesn't matter because
the Thunder were the better team clearly, you know. I
mean like the Nuggets were depending on like russ On
(12:06):
Julian Struther, who had you know, one really good game,
but they're just depending on these guys where it's like,
you know, I don't know, and the Thunder are you know,
deepest team in the NBA. A lot of the reason
they had the best point differential ever in the regular season,
but death really matters. And I think just being able
to you know, play play different styles too. Like Oklahoma City,
(12:29):
you know, they had a fantastic season last year, then
this offseason they're like, we're gonna go out and get
Isaiah Hartenstein.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
We're gonna be able to play two bigs.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
But we don't have to do that. I mean, we
can just go chet and play five out if we
want to, but we can also have like this great
two big lineup. So I'd say, like depth and versatility
or are two things that you know, I look at
this and I value.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
And it's crazy when you think of the Eastern Conference Finals,
we have two completely different styles of basketball, right, I mean,
Indiana is a team that's fast and physical above the
rim and Jim.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
I think New York plays six players.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Right, I mean, I'm joking butty much.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
They're a team that plays their starters really, so two
contrasting styles, but you know, played for the Eastern Conference championships,
So yeah, I think it's per season. I think injury
is the one common denominated EF factor here.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Could derail your best planned, can't it.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Yeah. I mean what Christian said about depth also plays
into that a lot too. I mean, you can't you
do need to have depth so that you can sustain.
I mean, we talked unfortunately a lot about player availability
this past season, so I mean, yeah, you go through
the season if you only have six or seven guys
and a couple of them go out. I mean people
I know, remember, I know people talked about at the
end of the Denver series that they were almost down
(13:38):
to about three guys if you throw in the guys
that were hurt and the other players that they couldn't
rely on. So yeah, I think that might be the
thing that determines champions over the next few years. And
I think to point part of why there has been
a little bit more fluctuation from year to year because
the injuries have definitely been a factor unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, you never know what happens when you have to player. Christian,
final thoughts from you.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
I don't know what's gonna happen anytime. I mean, this
is all of this has been unpredictable, you know, I did.
I certainly could have predicted they're gonna trade luc and
then they're gonna look into a guy who has a
chance to be a face to the franchise for the
next ten years.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
It's fun, it's fun.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
I hope, uh, I hope Cooper flag hits and I'm
I'm optimistic and he seems like he's about the right things.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, you know, Christian, it's funny. When you left here,
you thought, you know, things will be much more stable
in Dallas. There won't be as many issues, there won't
be as much controversy. Everything will be more set in place,
and then we'll look what you ended up getting. So
what a what a six months for you? You left
in in November. I remember the game you left. It
was the game against Toronto right before Thanksgiving, and we thought,
(14:47):
you know, he's going to comfortable Dallas. Kinna be he relaxed,
He's gonna be able to kick back and just you know,
just calmly monitor the situation. But didn't quite happen that way.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
So and then the fans are about to like storm
the building.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Were you blamed Freddy of this though?
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Right?
Speaker 4 (15:05):
So you always blamed for stuff here? So were you
blamed for the Lucat trade up there?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
No, I don't.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
I'm like, I'm pretty uh insignificant here. Yeah, I mean
I'm I'm like the seventh most important reporter. So no,
no one was blaming me. I don't think anybody was
thinking about me here.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Well in our hearts and minds, your number one, sir,
which is why you it could happen to be because
your team's actually leading things off. But we do love
you at C Clark underscore one three, mister Christian Clark.
Try to get some shut eye. You know eventually we'll come,
I promise.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
Man. Congrats to you.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I'm glad everybody's healthy, and we'll see you real soon man,
as the season's right around the corner.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
I'm I'm booking the first road game of New Orleans
for sure, I'll be on that one.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Maybe we'll see in Summer League before then too. You
never know, never know, look out, Jimmy Vegas.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
Mister Christian Clark of the Athletic.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Thank you, sir, our thanks to mister Christian Clark of
the Athletic giving us his thoughts as to what took
mister Jimike Andhoffer with the Dallas Mavericks and here to
kind of talk about maybe the potential of all of
those different players that the Dallas Mavericks can take. Is
none other than our signline reporter and you see him
on the Gulf Coast and Sports Entertainment Network as well,
(16:14):
mister Andrew Lopez for us.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
What's up, sir? How are you?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
You know what?
Speaker 7 (16:17):
I'm actually I'm happy that Christian found enough time in
his schedule that, you know, to be awaken off for
the pod. I know it's been a very busy time
over there with the Dallas Mavericks and they're one point
eight percent chance, not that you know, anybody's gonna remember
how much percent chance they had at getting this number
one pick, but we're here, and uh, good to talk
(16:37):
about some good basketball player.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yeah, you know, Andrew, during this series, we're going to
be talking about a handful of prospects with you. Some
of the guys that are kind of right now projected
to go in the top part of the draft or
throughout the lottery. And we're going to start today with
Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. Those are two of the
guys right now that have been pretty much a consensus
at the top of the board. I guess we can
(16:59):
start with Flag. Obviously, this is a player that it
looked appears that the Pelicans and the fan base will
be watching him as an opponent for a long time
based on all likelihood. You know, first of all, too,
I wanted to ask you from some of the new guests.
Every time we have a different guest coming, and I
want to ask you kind of a starting point of
(17:21):
how do you prepare for the draft? Obviously you were
you were an ESPN reporter, you were for NOLA dot
com among other things. What is kind of your process
of of how you start kind of researching these guys
during back.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
When I was with ESPN, it was always kind of
it went with how the team I was covering was going. Sure,
I mean in those years when we were when I
was here with the Pels and it was a playoff year,
I'm not paying as much attention to it. Last season
when I was I guess, I guess it's still technically
(17:54):
last season.
Speaker 6 (17:54):
I guess we are still in this season.
Speaker 7 (17:56):
Since it's the playoffs that twenty three twenty four season,
I'm paying a lot more attention to it because it's
I know, the Spurs. You know, the record was bad.
I was doing that once the injuries kind of happened,
and probably about probably about January or February of this year,
I started, you know, putting on an extra couple of
(18:17):
college games, really starting reading some scouting reports, following the
guys that I follow, So probably February on I remember
sitting on the plane with Ad talking about this guy
and this guy and this guy and this guy and
this guy, and I watched this game the other night.
So it's a slow process. But obviously once once the
season stopped, once things kind of slowed down, then it's
(18:41):
you know, even this was even pre lottery, you know,
you really just kind of start diving into you know,
you're looking at clips at these guys you're watching, You're
reading all, you know, anything you could find, trying to
figure out just who these guys are.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
I give you credit because my processes I've joked about
with you before is I'm like the student that doesn't
show up for a class the whole semester, and then
it's a few days before the test. I show up
and I start cramming. Yeah, so I waited. I really
waited till I usually do this when the years of
the Pelicans aren't going to be in the playoffs, I
wait until the lottery results so I know when they're picking,
I know the range of players that I need to
(19:15):
really laser focus more in on. So are you a
big video guy? I actually am always. I've been impressed
the last few years how much is available, even on
YouTube where they have these scouting breakdowns of ten fifteen minutes,
and it's like to me to spend to be able
to learn so much in ten minutes on a guy
that's actually a huge part of what I do to
(19:37):
get ready.
Speaker 7 (19:38):
To It's kind of funny because I think it started
like back in the day, like watching the draft Express
videos with Cavoni and the stuff that they would put out,
and now there's just there's so many people who do
so many things. If you know, if you want an
analytical breakdown of these guys, there's a you know, a
guy or twenty for that right, If you want a
video breakdown, there's this. If you want pros, there's cons,
(19:59):
there's there's this video, there's that video. I just think
there's so much information to have that it kind of
it's kind of funny because I think it makes for
a smarter draft community. But also, I mean for the
guys who have to actually make these decisions, there's just
so much more information out there right now that it
(20:21):
just makes their job.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
Even more difficult.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Just something real quick, because I always find it interesting too.
It's a little different NFL draft and NBA draft is
this and NFL. I've seen a player three years in college, right,
even if he's transferred, like Jaydon Daniels here at LSU.
We saw him at Arizona State. He played two years
at LSU with the NBA man, like he said the
word cram, I'm trying to find out about a lot
(20:44):
of these guys. Let's be honest, right until you start
getting to conference play conference tournament, if they go into
the NCAA, that's the closest high level competition states type basketball.
I mean, it's I'm not ripping them, but let's be honest.
The games in early November December in college prey conference.
They're they're directional schools, right that some of the big
(21:05):
school names are playing, so they're not really playing some
of the top teams. How hard is that to scout
and make decisions on these guys that might have faced
one or two possible future NBA players.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
You're looking at some of these guys who in the
in the past. I mean, obviously the guys who are
in higher conferences, you're you know, you can judge a
little bit better. But for some of these guys who
are eighteen years old, nineteen years old, part of your
scouting process in the NBA is.
Speaker 6 (21:35):
You got to go back and watch a little high
school film. You gotta go back and watch what they
did on the AAU circuit. There's Peach Jam is important.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
What they did on the ebybl circuit or whatever circuit
they're on, Adida circuit, nations, if they played any level
of USA Basketball or whatever World Basketball, whatever they're at.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
So like vin competition, right, So it's it's difficult.
Speaker 7 (21:56):
There's not you know, thirty six games that you can
go through, and you know, I know twenty four of
these are SEC games, you know, and I know what
I'm gonna get from a football player or anything like that,
or for Jaydon get the Jeels. Jane Daniels has five
years of film. I mean, these guys have one year
of college film. And as we'll get to in the
(22:19):
case with Harper Is, particularly him and Ace Bailey, the
talent level around them wasn't that high and they're doing
a lot of things. I think a number of the
guys that we're going to talk about in this series,
just to kind of set this up, is guys making
plays without NBA level guys around them. And that's another
(22:39):
part of this process for decision makers is all right, well,
how does this guy fit because that guy that he's.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
Passing to.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
May not play another minute of the basketball when his
college career is done, or that guy may go play
overseas maybe, and now I'm putting him in a around
NBA level guys. How does that change what he does?
Or did he do too much? Again, a guy like
Jeremiah Fears who's shown twenty eight percent from three but
was taking a lot of difficult threes because of the
(23:12):
attention to the defense as well. So there's just so
many small things that evaluators have to try to figure
out and frankly, I'm glad I'm not being paid to
have to do that.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Yeah, I mean a lot of I think a lot
of what you're talking about his context, as far as
you know, how do you translate the role that this
guy in college had and what he's going to be
in the NBA, Because almost there's almost no cases where
it's the same thing that you can just say like, Okay,
this is what this guy did in college and he's
going to just be able to transfer that right over
to the NBA. In the case of Cooper Flag, I mean,
(23:44):
this is a guy who's played with multiple players as
duke teammates who were projected to who are projected to
be in the NBA. A couple other players are going
to be lottery picks based on what we're seeing at
this stage as well. So I mean, from what you
saw of him in his one season, not a huge sample,
but there's also other things that people look at from
(24:05):
his career, including the participation he had with the USA
camp in Vegas that people are still talking about how
well he performed there. What do you think are some
of the things that he does does well? And I
mean it feels like to just his versatility. The fact
that there's a bunch of different boxes that he checks
is why people are so excited about his potential in
the NBA.
Speaker 7 (24:25):
I think the big thing about him first, let's let's
talk about him like this. He's supposed to be a
high school.
Speaker 6 (24:31):
Senior right now.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
He reclassified.
Speaker 7 (24:33):
Yet he reclassified up and has and still got all
the accolades of Duke and is the consensus number one pick.
His twin brother is just finished winning, is like headed
to Maine next year. He's gonna go play his college
ball at Maine, but like obviously did not reclassify. I
played with him a year at Montverd and the you know,
(24:55):
went back home I think to play, so that that's
one thing that stands out automatically. He's on a younger
year if you look at some of those advanced numbers
from what he had this year, just in what he
was able to do on the court all around. It
compares to guys like Ad and Zion and what they
were able to do in terms of these are high
level first guys, and he is still a year younger,
(25:17):
done a lot of him. I think the biggest thing
for him though, is he projects as a true to
a guy which I don't know if you've heard, but
according to GMS, in Dallas defense wins championships. So many
times we've heard that, Yes, it fits with what they
want to do. It fits I think what a lot
(25:38):
of teams want to do. And I think there's a
reason why he was coveted by so many teams is
he's not just going to be a guy who you
know he he doesn't. He's not an offensive savon. He's
not this guy who's going to come in and average
you know, twenty eight right away in a league or
anything like that.
Speaker 6 (25:55):
But he can get to that level.
Speaker 7 (25:58):
But I think it's his true kind of two way
potential in what he can able to do on both
sides of the floor that kind of make him so
so valuable.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
One of the things that we talked about with Christian
Clark was just, you know, the fact that he can
do so many different things. I mean, how curious are
you interested to see just what his fit is going
to be with Dallas and just the way that they're
gonna be able to use him.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:19):
One of my things is he almost kind of better projects.
I think as a four, he could probably play the three,
probably the two if you wanted to. How does that
deal with you know, when they're going to have a
D and Lively on the floor or GAFFERD or PJ
and it kind of jumbles up their front court. But again,
I guess that's a good problem to have, is four
or five guys who you absolutely trust who could play
(26:41):
the four and five position. Him sliding to the three,
I think won't be that much of a big deal,
but you know, we're in such position as basketball anyway.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
Now.
Speaker 7 (26:50):
I think it where he fits, he'll He's a smart
enough player that he's going to be able to fit in.
I think he was adaptable at Duke, and you know
he'll probably to be adapt pull in Dallas as well.
And I trust Jason Kidd to kind of figure that out.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah, I mean, it seems like they're gonna be able
to put some big lineups on the court, too, So
how that affects, you know, teams like the Pelicans will
be interesting to see as well in some of those
head to head competitions. I wanted to set this up
as the first episode we're doing in the series of
six different episodes where we're talking about specific teams as
well as prospects. What we're gonna do with all the
(27:25):
guests is we're going to talk about some of the
pro comparisons that each player coming into the draft has,
And I wanted to kind of read off some of
the more common ones that I've seen for Cooper flag
on various websites, and you know, you can kind of
go talk about which ones you like the best. We're
seeing Jason Tatum, We're seeing Scottie Pippen, the guy who
(27:45):
played for the Bulls, not the one who plays for
the Grizzlies right now. We're seeing Franz Wagner, Kawhi Leonard,
Jalen Johnson, Scottie Barnes. And part of why I like
the pro comparisons is, I mean, I'll speak for myself here.
I watch Cooper Flagg play once or twice, maybe at
the most this season. Some of the guys we're talking about,
I did not watch it all. So I need a
(28:06):
picture in my mind of what kind of what type
of player we're talking about. And that helps me when
I start watching the video to say, Okay, maybe I
like this competent comparison. I don't like this one, But
what do you think when you hear some of those comparisons.
Speaker 7 (28:20):
Yeah, I think the one that I've liked the most
has probably been the Kawhi one. And I'm a getting
I think, and we we've talked about this. This is
not saying that this guy is going to come into
the NBA and be Kawhi Leondards right way, but that
that's probably his His absolute ceiling is probably I won't
say it's absolute ceiling when any of these guys coming in,
they could make their own new ceiling, sure, but you know,
(28:43):
you can see him being potentially a guy like uh,
like Kawhi where he's he's you know, your number one
option on both offense and defense.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (28:52):
The Tatum one, I think you look at kind of
about Tatum's game and how he's able to get to
the rim almost he's kind of Tatum without a shot
right now for our our older listeners, the Scottie Pippen
one and what he was able to do, you shoulsally
go back and look at Scotty the two years without Michael.
I think I think all of those are good, and
I think it kind of shows you how all over
(29:16):
the place he is.
Speaker 6 (29:19):
With some of these comps, and you're like.
Speaker 7 (29:21):
Man, how does Scotty Borrens and Jaillen like how there's
all these different things of his game that you see.
And I think Scotty is is probably one of the
other ones, but I think the Kawhi is probably.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
The top one.
Speaker 7 (29:35):
I think that is like, Oh, if he can get
to be that guy, then yeah, you're you're in a
pretty good spot.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Yeah. And again, when we're talking about comparisons to or not,
we're talking more about traits in terms of one of
the players tendencies, what's his style of play. I remember
back in the day when we had across the NBA,
there was a lot more access to the draft workouts,
and back in even the Hornets days, we would have
second round picks here and every player, regardless of where
(30:01):
they were projected for the draft, we'd asked them to
make a pro comparison or name a couple guys that
they play like. And I always remember people's fan reactions, readers'
reactions to a guy who's going to go in the
second round who said, you know, mentioned like an All Star.
They would be like, how arrogant is this guy that
he It's like, no, let's calm down, We're not talking
We're not saying that the guy is going to be
(30:22):
that good. It's just to give you a picture of
an idea what the player is going to be like.
And and and you put yourself in their shoes too.
They're they're gonna sit They're trying to sell themselves a
little bit too. They're not going to say, you know,
a thirteenth man, I'm like that. They're going to say
somebody who's playing a lot.
Speaker 7 (30:38):
Which, which I think is just going back to the
last year's draft process, is when Brownie James was asked
about guys he looked like or he thought his game.
One of the guys he missed was Davion Mitchell, who
at that point was.
Speaker 6 (30:49):
Not thought like.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
You.
Speaker 7 (30:52):
There's probably a lot of casual NBA fans at that
point they I know who Davian Mitchell?
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Well, right, he's a rotation guy in rotation and so
the fact that that.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
Was kind of one of the things he answered was
kind of I like that about him. But yeah, for
these comps, it's it's more of traits. I don't think
anybody is like, hey, it's always the who do you
model your game after? And some of these guys are
just sometimes a little bit more realistic than others in
what they watch.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Last part on Cooper Flag is there again? We're gonna
be asking pretty much everyone this question. Is there anyone
in that you can compare from the Pelican's history, and
we're going all the way back to two thousand and
two when the franchise came here? Is there anybody that
is reminiscent of Cooper Flag?
Speaker 7 (31:32):
This one's probably all. We'll get into the other guys
that I have been assigned in this little series a
little later.
Speaker 6 (31:40):
I don't. I really don't know.
Speaker 7 (31:42):
It's almost like you're taking at peak. If you're gonna
if we're using Kawhi as a comp at peak, you're
looking at like Herb Jones defense and brandon Ingram offense.
I mean, I don't. I don't think he's he's gonna
be that. I don't think he's gonna be a guy
whose first team All defense next year. But I think
but he can't, and I think that's one of the
things that he can do.
Speaker 6 (32:02):
He's not.
Speaker 7 (32:03):
He's not a liability. You know, you can you can
name any other wing you know, bigger wing defenders in it.
But like, if that's his ceiling that's that's what he
would be. And so to me, it's just it would
it would take a lot and this is probably you know, three, four,
five years down the road if he's meeting all of
his potential. But that's that that could be what it is.
(32:27):
But this this one of the series.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (32:31):
In fact, the two you gave me today are probably
the two toughest to answer. I got the other ones. Yeah,
I'm good with my other ones. Uh, but these two
guys very very difficult.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
So for Dylan Harper, I guess we'll talk about him
starting with I mean, what what you saw from him
this season? I know people talked a lot about rutgers
lack of success. They didn't make the tournament, which was disappointing.
But I mean, again, as a draft novice, I will say,
I mean, watching the video of him, I'm really impressed
with just his shiftiness off the off the dribble, just
(33:04):
the way that he can get into the paint. I mean,
what are some of the things that you saw from
him that stand out the most from his one season
in college?
Speaker 7 (33:12):
His ability to to to score the basketball for one,
we could talk a little bit about. Now they didn't
exactly have all the players. You look at a team
like Rutgers and you're thinking Rutgers is, Rutgers could have
two of the top three picks in the NBA draft
and did not make the NCAA tournament. How is that possible?
And I think that's more of a product of what
(33:32):
what was around them rather than their skill themselves. But
one thing that he does I think he is he
just he gets to the rim. You'd probably like to
see himdraw a little bit more free throws, but like
you know, I know drawing free throws as a big,
big topic in the NBA right now because of how
(33:52):
what we've seen in these in these merchant if you
can get there, he is a he is a scorer.
I think the playmaking is there.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
He's a bigger guard.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
You know.
Speaker 7 (34:11):
We'll get into the comps in a second, but I
just think he is an all around player.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
He's got the NBA pedigree.
Speaker 7 (34:17):
Uh In fact that when you know, one of the
comps that I've seen for him is is is his
dad is Ron Harper?
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Second nineties Bulls reference of them?
Speaker 6 (34:26):
Yeah, yeah, I didn't think we get that many is
is Ron Harper?
Speaker 7 (34:32):
So to me, I just think he's an all around
good player, would have you know, I think I think
he fits again with a lot of different teams and
you know, kind of projected over at number two right
now with the Spurs. But how does he he fit
with that guard heavy lineup? But again, uh, a good
(34:54):
problem to have.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Sure, we talked about Cooper Flag's comparisons. The comparisons that
I've seen the most prominently about Dylan Harper and man,
this is a pretty impressive list. Is Kate Cunningham, Jalen Williams,
Jalen Brunson, Kobe White, James Harden, and Darren Fox. So
what do you think when you hear those that list
of players that are compared to him?
Speaker 7 (35:16):
I think the other one that I've heard is almost
and this was this was a jumbo Jahn Morant. Okay,
I don't think, you know, that's a lot to put
on a guy, especially with the explosiveness. I don't like,
he's he's there yet, but just in terms of the
way he's cutting, he's getting to the room. The Jaylen
Williams ones is kind of is kind of there with
(35:38):
a little bit more ball handling, a little bit more playmaking.
But look, he is he is a very good basketball player.
And I think this is one of those years where
we've seen it before where you know, you've got number one,
and man, it really kind of you know, it sucked
(35:58):
to get number two. You didn't want to at number
two or whatever it was going to be. This is
not one of those years. Yes, obviously, I think anybody
would have taken Cooper flag. And you give thirty teams
the decision, they're probably going to take Cooper flag over
Dylan Harber.
Speaker 6 (36:10):
But I think there's.
Speaker 7 (36:12):
Probably thirty out of thirty, a twenty nine out of thirty,
let's say, it's probably maybe one that's probably taking Dylan.
Speaker 6 (36:18):
Harper number two.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Sure. Lastly, and this is the we referenced this earlier.
This will be the difficult one. Any Pelicans comparisons from
the history of this franchise.
Speaker 6 (36:27):
Come up, probably like.
Speaker 7 (36:30):
Again just as a six to six kind of like
maybe it's like the what Dejonte is supposed to be
except a little you know what I mean? Like and
I say Desant is supposed to be like not hurt Dejonte, right,
like what we saw from Dejonte uh this season.
Speaker 6 (36:46):
That one's just a difficult one.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
There's there's some other again some other ones that I know,
you know, it's like a slightly bigger Drew, but not
I not that on defense, size and toughness, like offensive
Drew wasn't an offensive yeah, not like not like.
Speaker 6 (37:01):
Size wise, but no like that. That one's again, it's
a difficult one.
Speaker 7 (37:05):
But when you're throwing out you know, the caides and
the you know, guys like that, you know, it's it's
it's kind of hard.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
I just keep looking at the thing that stands out
to me with him, and look, he's a guy that
I've watched a lot during just in Cogs because he's
just he looks like.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
A football player out there, man.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
I mean, he just looks thick.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
And when we're watching the playoffs and you're seeing what's
happening in the West overall, there's a lot of contact
and you know, just again in the history of the
Pelicans and the thunder and the history of the Pelicans
with some of these teams are going to face. Look
at the way the Knicks play defense, Caruso, what he
was doing earlier to start that series against Minnesota, Andrew
(37:45):
to have a guard that can absorb that contact and
it's not throwing him off for rhythm off of balance
or maybe once that contact. I think that's the thing
that's going to scare me if he does wind up
being in the Western Conference.
Speaker 7 (37:57):
And I think the other thing about Harper is when
he when he he measured at the Combine, I think
it was the everything kind of stood out. Everything was
kind of where he was supposed to be. Like we've
seen a couple of guys lose, you know, they were
listed at you know, ast Bailey was listed at six ten,
came in about six and seven and a half in shoes,
I mean in six ten and sixty seven ten to
(38:20):
six and six ten, listed six seven and a half
in at barefoot, which is how they list you at
the Combine, which I.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Don't know why.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
It's a pretty big different.
Speaker 7 (38:27):
I don't know why, because you don't play basketball barefoot.
Speaker 6 (38:30):
Yeah, so but he's going to be a guy who's
a shade under six.
Speaker 7 (38:34):
Nine on the basketball for Yeah, you saw some of
his measurements and you're like, oh, he's six four and
a half barefoot, So that's about online with his six
sixth that he's listed at, he was two hundred and
thirteen pounds. I mentioned the basketball Pedaliy from his dad,
Ron Harper. His mom also a collegiate basketball player at
U and O. So the local tie there for the kid,
but he is he's got, like you said, the size
(38:58):
to get to the rim, which is you know, as
teams are playing bigger. We've talked about the lineup that
the Dallas Mavericks can kind of put out there right now,
we've seen the lineups that the Oklahoma City Thunder can
put out there. You know, having a big six six
two fifteen lead guard is uh, you know pretty good.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
We'll see what takes place with those top two players
going where they're gonna go. We've seen the think down
and I know Jim has been doing a lot of
research looking at a bunch of mock drafts.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
Would you be surprised if it doesn't go like that
one and two?
Speaker 3 (39:30):
I think at this stage, yeah, I think I would
be surprised if those guys aren't the top two. I
mean mostly because I don't know if I can find
one at this stage where they're not listed as the
top two. So unless everyone's wrong, if you if.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
You find I don't know whether they're not one two,
it's somebody just trying to.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
Get some attention.
Speaker 6 (39:46):
Yeah, I told you so. Yeah, you man, it's one two.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
And obviously, going back to your days with ESPN, I'm
sure you guys had probably discussions going into draft night. Hey,
could they be plays for teams trying to move up
and trade it? These are two players that you want
to draft, you want to keep or or they cover it.
I mean, like, I do you envision a single scenario
where Cooper Flag doesn't go to Dallas?
Speaker 6 (40:09):
Like, what would be the package?
Speaker 4 (40:10):
What do you say?
Speaker 7 (40:11):
No, I say, but there was never a scenario where
get traded, So.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I won't say there's no scenario.
Speaker 7 (40:22):
However, even if you know a certain superstar who you
know is from the Eastern Conference decides that he does
want to ask for a trade, that would be the
only person I think that could move the needle enough
to where Dallas doesn't pick Cooper san Antonio doesn't pick
(40:44):
Killing Harper.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
I would say this. I think as you see as
a wrap up this episode with.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
The teams there that made it to the Eastern and
Western Conference finals and the fact that so much talk
has been made. I think I even saw Mike Greenberg
making his and Terry on get up a little bit
ago as the conference finals were starting, he said, the
era of the super teams are over, and he was
glad for and he brought up the second apron. He
(41:09):
brought up some of the things that the NBA has
done to do that. The fact andrew that at the
end of the season, when it does conclude, we're gonna
have a seventh different champion in seven straight years. So
when you look at that, yeah, I mean whether you're
mentioning certain players and certain conferences or certain teams.
Speaker 6 (41:26):
That could be going.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
I don't know if you pulled the trigger anymore.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Maybe you do go with your young players.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
I mean money is money, age is age.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
You look at injuries.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
That's something I talked to the Jim about, you know,
off just at lunch, I'm like, man, what's the common
denominatedor factor that.
Speaker 4 (41:43):
Blows up plans?
Speaker 2 (41:43):
I mean, here in New Orleans we were ready to
see the CJ. McCollum, brianon Ingram, Zion Williamson era. How
many games did they play together? Well, I'm sorry that
was the dejective, like thirty or not like that total? Right, right,
that's the points Like, so you could plan these super teams,
you can move big name guys put them together, but
(42:05):
look at look at the Suns, look at some of
these other teams. It just didn't work. So I'd be shocked.
I think if if you see those big, big, big, big,
big moves like that.
Speaker 7 (42:15):
It's it's you'd think. And then there's always there's a
Rudy Gobert trade, and then there's mckail bridges trade, and
then you look at how the Knicks have built their
roster and it's you know, they brought in Jailer, but
you know, the Jayler Burnton wasn't homegrown. Josh Hart wasn't homegrown,
mackail Bridges wasn't homegrown. O g wasn't homegrown. Colle Anthony
Towns wasn't homegrown. They went and made moves for those guys,
(42:38):
or made space or did something. So you know, maybe
it's not the swings for the biggest names anymore, which
I still think we're going to see biger names obviously.
I mean we saw a trade with Luka Danca this year.
Teams are still going to make swings, but I think
teams are going to be smarter with how they move
assets around those big guys anymore.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Still, I still look back at that day and go,
it's got to be it's fake.
Speaker 6 (43:05):
Couch. I was like, no, it's fake.
Speaker 4 (43:07):
That's the new term, right, Like will they be a
that's gotta be a.
Speaker 7 (43:10):
My favorite, my favorite part of that whole night was
the second tweet from Shams Yeah, which said no, this
is real and then listen to details, which only made
me think, oh.
Speaker 6 (43:22):
This is even that. This is definitely because he would
never have to say that this is real.
Speaker 4 (43:27):
That's something else.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Andrew Lopez as always, Uh, we can't wait to see
what goes on here when we get closer to the
draft at the end of June. All right, thanks for
y'all for listening on a special edition as we get
ready for the NBA Draft coming up towards the end
of June.
Speaker 4 (43:42):
Here the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast. Join
us three times per week on Pelicans dot com, the
Pelicans mobile app, the iHeartRadio app, or where you get
your podcast, and be sure to give Jim and Guss
a follow on x at Jim Underscore I Can Offer
(44:06):
and Gcat Underscore seventeen. We'll see you next time right
here on the New Orleans Pelicans podcast
Host
Jim Eichenhofer
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